Brother
by Master-Magician
Summary: A small part of Chloe was still scared of what she saw back at that house, but the rest of the detective won out. Her partner needed her, she couldn't abandon him. Especially not now.


**Once again spreading into a new fandom, this time Lucifer. I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out some kind of story to write for Lucifer until I finally stumbled onto this idea.**

 **Takes place after "Weaponizer".**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

This was getting freaky, like off the charts freaky.

Chloe actually hadn't realized how accustomed she had grown to Lucifer's antics. Sure the man could be insufferable at times, but Chloe had just accepted the quirks as a trade-off. He would probably make a good detective if not for said quirks.

Yeah... like that would ever happen.

Something had changed though. There was something just not right with her 'partner'. Granted Lucifer's default setting seemed to be set on strange, this was not the usual Lucifer.

The first clue came when she arrived at Lux to pick him up for a new case. Lucifer was dressed in one of his traditional fancy suits, but the outfit was wrinkly and mussy. As if he had put it on haphazardly, like he didn't care.

The second hint came immediately after the first. Much like his outfit, Lucifer was always perfectly trimmed and done up to look his best. Much as Chloe was loathe to admit it, he did look good almost all the time. Even she had to appreciate someone that handsome. But now, his usually groomed features were anything but. His hair was messed up just as bad as his clothes, so much so that Chloe wondered if he'd combed it in the last week.

Was Lucifer intending on going out in public looking like this? It was still morning and the man was in his penthouse above Lux when Chloe found him so it was hard to tell. This wasn't the first time Chloe regretted being given free privilege of arriving unannounced. Although for once it wasn't the usual reason. Seeing Lucifer like this was just that disturbing.

"What the fu..." Chloe's muttered words were cut off when Lucifer caught sight of the detective.

"Ah detective. Another sorry soul in need of justice?" Lucifer sported the biggest fake smile Chloe had seen in her life, and that was coming from a woman with a young daughter at home. Not only that, he didn't sound right either. His voice lacked a large part of its usual fire or snark.

"Uh yeah. I tried calling but didn't get through." This was the whole reason Chloe came without warning. She always called ahead, but no matter how many times she tried Lucifer didn't pick up. The detective might have rushed over to the nightclub a little faster than necessary but that was irrelevant.

"Right, I believe I might have forgotten to charge the little thing." Lucifer stood up from his seat at the bar to travel across the room to retrieve the device.

He forgot the charge his phone, and left it somewhere away from his person? What in the holy hell was wrong with him? The guy was practically glued to the thing recently. So much so, that slapping it out of his hand was becoming a regular occurrence for Chloe.

"Okay, you can borrow my car charger if it fits." As strange as his behavior was, there was a case in need of solving.

"Excellent idea." Lucifer shoved the dead phone into his pocket to join Chloe in the elevator. Chloe stared at him dumbstruck for a moment before she remembered to hit the button leading down.

No quip about borrowing anything else of Chloe's? No dirty joke about other things fitting? Lucifer might be eccentric, but Chloe never really founded him creepy. Well, it hadn't been a while since she felt like that at least. But she was certainly way passed creeped out now.

* * *

This might have been the fastest case of Chloe's career. It hadn't even taken three hours to track their perp down. Seriously, Chloe had seen some amateur criminals in her time, but this guy took the cake.

She might have even felt sorry for the guy, if he wasn't a cold blooded murderer.

Other than the culprit's own stupidity, the case had been brutally simple in its conclusion. Father died, older brother gets everything, younger brother gets mad and kills his sibling, then takes everything for himself.

What gave the man away? Chloe and Lucifer came to talk to him as the brother of the deceased, but he tried to run the moment he saw the cops. Upon capture he couldn't confess fast enough. He might have admitted to the deed, but evidently that didn't mean he felt sorry about it.

Chloe hadn't even needed Lucifer, but she wanted him along anyway. Whatever had him acting so weird maybe some time out would improve him, or at least he would let Chloe know somehow what the deal was.

Chloe had even tried something she knew Lucifer would respond to. She told him that if they solved their case of the day fast enough, they should celebrate by going back to Lux and sleeping together. The detective had been so sure Lucifer would rise to the bait but he had responded instead with a simple "Sure" that all but screamed he wasn't even listening.

In retrospect, bringing Lucifer had been a terrible, terrible idea.

After the duo caught the guy trying to escape out the back door, Chloe had dragged him to sit on the couch where he spilled his guts. They were waiting for someone else to take him back to the station when Chloe saw the borderline murderous look on Lucifer's face.

"You killed your own brother, for what? Petty cash?" Chloe had seen Lucifer smug, seen him bored, grumpy, excited, and appalled. But one thing she had never seen was him angry. Upset sure, but that was nothing compared to this.

This was way past upset, this was pure rage.

"You don't understand..." The perp tried another pathetic attempt to defend himself, but Lucifer was having none of it.

"Understand what?" Lucifer snarled standing before the man. "Of all the things to kill family for, you did it for money?"

"Whoa hey. Easy Lucifer, we got the guy." Chloe had to head her partner off before he could advance further.

Never before had Chloe been forced to restrain Lucifer. She had talked him down from doing something stupid before, but never had to actually physically stop him herself.

Lucifer didn't even seem to weigh that much, but it was like pushing on a steel wall. Not only did Lucifer not budge, he was actually pushing her back like she was a paper doll. If Chloe couldn't figure out a way of stopping him, short of shooting him, there was no telling what he was going to do to the murderer.

"I wish I'd have thought of a special circle of hell for people like you." Lucifer growled, a deep menacing sound that had even Chloe astonished. "Oh the fun we would have, but I'll just have to make do here."

"Lucifer come on." Chloe pleaded. "Now's not the time for this." She pushed again with all she had but he would not yield. Chloe could feel her feet sliding across the wooden floor.

It would have been easier to simply shove Chloe out of the way but he had yet to do it. From the way his eyes focused solely on the killer, Lucifer couldn't see or hear her.

They were less than a couple steps before the perp now. If Chloe didn't figure out something soon, there was the very real possibility Lucifer would kill him, or worse.

"Lucifer Morningstar!" Chloe reached up and seized Lucifer with a hand on either side of his head and forced his head down with all the strength of her smaller frame. "Look at me."

It worked, but Chloe almost wished she hadn't succeeded. Lucifer's eyes were alight with fire, not anger or anything of the kind, but literal fire. It was almost as if his orbs had become burning hot coals.

Chloe was terrified of what she saw in those horrifying pits of flame, a shiver passed down her spine that she couldn't stop. A part, a large one, of her wanted to let go of him and run away. Run as far as her legs would carry her, until she collapsed in exhaustion. Until she escaped from what she saw in the void that was Lucifer's eyes.

It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped all over her, but Chloe not only steeled herself, she tightened her grip on Lucifer's head. This was her partner and friend, no matter how afraid Chloe was, she trusted him enough not to hurt her.

"Stop." Chloe spoke just above a whisper. "It's not worth it, don't do this."

For far too many heartbeats, Chloe endured the power that was Lucifer's stare. This couldn't be the power he claimed to have over people's desires. This didn't make her want to confess anything, it made her want to beg for mercy.

Salvation came at last when the flame slowly evaporated until his eyes returned to their normal appearance. The rage was still there, but Chloe could see Lucifer had it under control.

Chloe held Lucifer's head in her hands for longer than she should have, but she didn't want to let go quite yet. Even as the perp behind her whimpered and hid his face from view. Whatever strength allowed Chloe to stand before Lucifer's stare, he obviously didn't have.

When backup came to take the perp away, Chloe and Lucifer had already separated. Chloe was careful not to say why the killer was cowering in the couch and crying. Instead she said it was over guilt of killing his own brother.

They bought it thankfully, Chloe really didn't want to try to explain what she and him had seen. Hell, Chloe didn't know what she saw.

Ever since they broke eye contact, Lucifer refused to even look at Chloe. Neither had he made a peep as she drove him back to Lux. Whatever his problem was, he clearly didn't need to be out on the job with her.

Even after the elevator ride to his penthouse, Lucifer still hadn't said a word to the detective. Chloe was torn between the elevator and Lucifer who had taken a seat on the couch, a glass of alcohol already in hand.

The elevator led to salvation and worry, but safety. Then there was the open seat beside Lucifer, and potentially facing that... thing, she saw earlier.

Chloe groaned under her breath and turned away from the elevator. She couldn't just leave Lucifer here like this. It wouldn't be right. Were their roles reversed, he wouldn't just run away. Granted his version of 'help' would likely not have the desired effect. But he would at least do something instead of hiding somewhere.

Taking the empty seat at Lucifer's side, Chloe was instantly lost. Whatever nerve she had gathered to walk over here vanished in the time it took her to actually sit. What on earth was she even supposed to say?

"So... what was that today?" Chloe spoke softly and gently, not unlike she would when Trixie was upset. "You're not one to lose your cool like that."

Silence.

"Don't want to talk about it?" Chloe questioned.

At last Lucifer responded. Albeit with a shake of the head. Chloe was willing to take it, some progress was a lot better than none.

Deciding to take a little more daring chance, Chloe reached over Lucifer's back to pull his head down to her shoulder. To her eternal shock, he didn't resist.

A small part of Chloe was still scared of what she saw back at that house, but the rest of the detective won out. Her partner needed her, she couldn't abandon him. Especially not now.

The whole situation reminded Chloe of when she had been falsely dumped by Dan. Unable to cope with it, she had gotten completely drunk and actually threw herself at Lucifer right here on this same couch. Sure he had teased her a bit when she woke up but he had every chance to take advantage and didn't do it.

Lucifer had been there when Chloe badly needed someone, when she was at he most vulnerable. And now here they were, complete role reversal. Chloe would be damned if she didn't try her hardest to repay the kindness he had shown her in her hour of need.

Lucifer didn't want to talk about whatever was eating at him from the inside. No amount of prying from Chloe would change that. All she could do was wait, and make sure she was here when he at last opened up.

* * *

 **Finally, something to contribute to an awesome show.**

 **Let me know what you think everyone.**


End file.
